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Coast Guard union claims bully politics at play in Ottawa
VANCOUVER/CKNW (AM980)
Shane Woodford | Email news tips to shane.woodford@corusent.com
3/5/2013

The Coast Guard union is accusing the federal government of rooting out, and getting rid of, any opposition to the closure of Kitsilano Coast Guard base. 

Union leader Dave Clark says a memo from Coast Guard Commissioner Marc Gregoire shows what lengths the feds went to, to close Kits base.

Clark says Western Region Assistant Commissioner Vija Poruks was removed for not moving fast enough to shut the base down.

"They have placed in this fellow that was already retired from Atlantic Canada and he made the decision to shut Kits base. The people that made the decision to close Kits base are running like rats off a ship. It looks like people didn't actually want to close it and the government got rid of them."
 
In the memo Gregoire says Gary Sidock has been on the job as Assistant Commissioner since January and will return to Atlantic Canada to retire next week.

The memo says Poruks is leaving the Coast Guard entirely.

Kits base was closed February 19th during the unveliling of the latest BC budget with no notice given to the Provincial government or to mariners.


The memo in full is attached below.

Dear Colleagues,
 
I am writing to you regarding some changes in the Office of the Assistant Commissioner, Western Region. 
 
Vija Poruks recently announced that she will be leaving the Canadian Coast Guard.  As a result, an open competition will be held to recruit a new Assistant Commissioner, Western Region.
 
Gary Sidock has been Acting Assistant Commissioner since January 7th and will remain in this role until March 13th.  Following this assignment, Gary will return to the East Coast and retire from the Canadian Coast Guard and the Public Service of Canada shortly thereafter.
 
In the interim, Denis Sing, Director General of Integrated Business Management Services will be Acting Assistant Commissioner, Western Region from March 14th to April 12th.  This period may be adjusted depending on operational requirements.
 
I would like to take this opportunity to thank both Vija and Gary for their years of service to Coast Guard and would kindly ask that you give Denis Sing a warm welcome to the Western Region team and your full support.  I will provide you with another update once the competition for a new Assistant Commissioner, Western Region has been concluded.
 
Best regards,
 
Marc Grégoire

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  • 14
  1. WayneB_9376 posted on 03/05/2013 08:06 PM
    WayneB_9376posted 2 hours ago


    Is it not interesting that their is always the one person{Conservative, CSIS,Hack} that is responding to all the Coast Guard station closing responses.Some Newshound eh!
    Anybody says anythting they are put down and told they are wrong.
    Isnt it funny that Newshound only responds to Coast Guard Closing? No other sites?


    reply·
    1. Ron_26 posted on 03/05/2013 09:26 PM
      @WayneB_9376 So what?
  2. Newshound59 posted on 03/06/2013 07:48 AM
    Wrong again WayneB, I've made comments on many other topics here.

    I find it amusing that you keep calling me out as a Conservative Hack, I don't have any party affiliation. I told you before, I don't like government waste.

    Just because I'm not in agreement with your opinion, does not make me a political hack. People are entitled to their own views.

    I happen to have spent a good lot of time out on the water around here so I do have an opinion on this topic and I'm going to voice it whether you and your union cronies like it or not.
  3. Newshound59 posted on 03/06/2013 07:59 AM
    and now for my real comment....where in that memo does it say that "Vija Poruks was removed for not moving fast enough to shut the base down"?

    Of course people don't want to close their workplace down. Change is frightening. I'd like to know how many Coast Guard members actually lost their jobs, if any.

    It's too bad the news wasn't this concerned when Sears downtown closed and hundreds of people actually lost their jobs. I talked to one salesman who had been with Sears for 23 years and he had a choice of moving to Calgary or quitting.

    Where were all the people like WayneB who care so much about workers then? Oh, wait, Sears employees weren't part of the union, so they don't count.
  4. WayneB_9376 posted on 03/06/2013 09:16 AM
    "Geez" I had no idea that I am a Union Cronie! I am not even a Union Member! Hmmm.
    Sounds like sour grapes to me.
    My one and only concern is safety and medical response period not politics or B.S.
    People are right if the base is closed down and coverage is as good or the same it is then a non-issue.
    My One and Only concern is Public Safety and Marine Safety that is all.
    If all goes well I will make no comments about the base Closure.
    I do not like Government waste also.
    1. Newshound59 posted on 03/06/2013 05:55 PM
      @WayneB_9376 I don't think your concern is safety because all you've been whining about is people blaming the union - which I didn't do by the way.

      I'm not telling you what opinion to have Wayne, I'm simply stating mine and for that you called me a Conservative/CSIS hack. Do you honestly believe CSIS is trolling the CKNW blog?
    show more replies
  5. WayneB_9376 posted on 03/06/2013 09:26 AM
    I dont know how I could have helped the Sears store when they closed.
    I was sad and didnt want to see it happen.I also didnt want to see Eatons or Woodwards go also but I guess that me shopping there did not make any difference at all.
    You could use the same argument for the base closure Newshound true enough.
    I just do not want to see needless injuries,death,and hazards on the ocean.
    I am not talking about Coast Guard jobs lost Newshound I do not know if any jobs were lost, I am only concerned with safety of the Public of which we are both members.
  6. Crazy blonde posted on 03/06/2013 09:48 AM
    @Newshound - at least 4 people lost their jobs as a result of the closure and a few left before that to ensure they still had income coming in. The rest of the have been moved to other bases, some far from their families and longer periods of time. That isn't easy on anyone.
    The biggest expense that no one is considering is yes, the government says it is saving $700k per year but that doesn't include the extra hundreds of dollars per hour it takes to run the hovercraft vs. the Kits Cutter or how much it's costing to build the new summer facility and wages paid there. In the end, it will be a negative number
    1. Newshound59 posted on 03/06/2013 05:42 PM
      @Crazy blonde Thank you for answering the question Crazy Blonde. I totally empathize with people losing their jobs. I lost my job of over 20 years due to downsizing. As it happens my new job - which I used to do part-time to augment my income but will now do full-time - will require me to move away from my family and be at sea for months at a time. So I think I have a fair understanding of what the CG members are going through. Like them, I chose my job and no one is forcing me to do it.

      As a sailor, I have a vested interested in safety on the water and I'm not as concerned about this closure as many of the posters on here - some who think I'm some kind of hack for the gov't.

      The CG does a great service and I'm sure they will continue to do so without the Kits station.

      As far as the cost of the hover craft vs the cutter, kind of a red herring because I'm quite sure the hover craft would attend any on-the-water event if tasked regardless of what other assets are there.
  7. GaryH_7341 posted on 03/06/2013 05:18 PM
    We have had coastal lighthouse closures, light air plane assembly plants closures on Vancouver Island, harbour police closures, BC Rail plant closures, Zellar store closures, McMillan Bloedel closures, BC Cellulose closure, St. Mary's Hospital (New Westminster) closures, Woodward stores closures, Eaton stores closure, Sears store closures, and others. We will be closing more , and more, The cost of paying all the MLA Victoria is $6,720,000.00 per year, year after year (84 MLA members times $80,000.00 on average for each politician , with no reduction. We will be moving closer and closure to deficent spending with all the stupid setbacks that cripple our economy and chances of a successful future. Now we need the Patullo Bridge replacement and the Massey Tunnel alternative. We are in serious trouble of long lineups , congestion, and vehicle accidents.
  8. WayneB_9376 posted on 03/06/2013 07:19 PM
    I couldnt give a fiddlers fart about what you think about me Newshound you have been calling me a Union Cronie all along and all I wanted to do was give my own Opinion same as you Newshound,and I certainly have not been whining about the Union as a matter of a fact I dont even know if the Coast Guard is Union,Is it? The armed forces are not Union the RCMP is not Union,Is the Coast Guard Union? if so so what! I dont care, been a member of a Union does not make you an inferior person not all unions are the same and Not all union members even like being a member of a Union.
    I still think that Unions have their place and have helped people make a living wage and that money goes into the economy.
    As I have stated if things are safe and O.K. I'm O.K. if not it can be very scary to be in medical distress or sinking or on fire or explosion and wait for help.
    As far as CSIS trolling a blog, could happen Ask Rafe Mair about it he has been tracked by them on his Blog and Newspage especially when he talked about fracking in the Oil Industry,and talking about clean air and water. When it comes to the Federal Conservatives I put nothing past them they do things at any cost until caught.Then they deny and throw some junior member under the bus.Dont get me wrong Newshound I like some of the Conservatives Policies but that is as far as it goes.
    I am retired and I have had many jobs and 2 Careers and a pension that I have paid for, I am not old enough for C.P.P.and O.A.S.
    I am not an NDP' er I was a Progressive Consevative until the Reform party took over the Party, now I vote for whoever has the best policies,even though I know most of them are really scumbags so I pick the best scumbag that is all I can do.
    And by the way you are entitled to your own Opinion Newshound as I am also.
    I do not always disagree with you I just think that there is more than one view of a situation especially one involving safety and security on the sea or anywhere. If all goes well with the base being shut down fine, if not we are the losers, the public the people who pay the taxes for services that we expect,want and need.
  9. WayneB_9376 posted on 03/06/2013 07:37 PM
    I have also been left without a job or income, it is tough but most come through fine,I have missed my family but you have to do whatever is necessary to get on with life.I may still have to leave and take on a new job out of Province or up North just to have a viable future.I am all for jobs and job creation.
    I feel for all that have lost their jobs.May you find great Employment and prosper.
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